Oskar Blueshttp://www.oskarblues.com
Yes, we CAN!Mon, 02 Mar 2015 23:21:17 +0000en-UShourly1Callin’ All Musicians: Bands Needed for The BolderBOULDER Battle of the Bandshttp://www.oskarblues.com/callin-musicians-bands-needed-bolderboulder-battle-bands/
http://www.oskarblues.com/callin-musicians-bands-needed-bolderboulder-battle-bands/#commentsThu, 22 Jan 2015 18:41:58 +0000http://www.oskarblues.com/?p=16730Oskar Blues is stoked to be partnering with BolderBOULDER for our first ever “Battle of the Bands” competition. If you know a band that would be an ideal fit for this type of event please read the specifications below and send an email to race@bolderboulder.com by 5:00pm on Monday. Preliminaries take place on either Feb. […]

]]>Oskar Blues is stoked to be partnering with BolderBOULDER for our first ever “Battle of the Bands” competition. If you know a band that would be an ideal fit for this type of event please read the specifications below and send an email to race@bolderboulder.com by 5:00pm on Monday.

Preliminaries take place on either Feb. 18th or 25th. Two finalists will be selected to play in the finals on Saturday, Feb. 28th at Oskar Blues Grill & Brew in Lyons, CO.

The winning band gets $2,000, a paid gig at HMLS patio on Friday, May 22nd and will also be featured on the OB main stage at the BolderBOULDER on Monday, May 25th(band must have availability on both dates.)

Second place winners will receive $500 in cash.

A track from the winning band will also be featured the KBCO BolderBOULDER Bootleg CD vol. 11 and included in the downloadable tracks available on KBCO.com

]]>http://www.oskarblues.com/callin-musicians-bands-needed-bolderboulder-battle-bands/feed/0Oskar Blues Brewery to launch Iowa, Nebraska, Maine, Vermont and Southern Illinois in early 2015http://www.oskarblues.com/oskar-blues-brewery-launch-iowa-nebraska-maine-vermont-southern-illinois-early-2015/
http://www.oskarblues.com/oskar-blues-brewery-launch-iowa-nebraska-maine-vermont-southern-illinois-early-2015/#commentsTue, 13 Jan 2015 19:08:18 +0000http://www.oskarblues.com/?p=16715Longmont, CO, and Brevard, NC – Oskar Blues Brewery, creator of the first American craft beer in a CAN, will be charging out of the gates strong in early 2015 with the launch of Iowa, Nebraska, Maine, Vermont and downstate Illinois markets—filling in distribution of the brewery’s craft beers in the Midwest and Northeast. The […]

]]>Longmont, CO, and Brevard, NC –Oskar Blues Brewery, creator of the first American craft beer in a CAN, will be charging out of the gates strong in early 2015 with the launch of Iowa, Nebraska, Maine, Vermont and downstate Illinois markets—filling in distribution of the brewery’s craft beers in the Midwest and Northeast.

The beer that started the craft-beer-in-a-CAN revolution, Dale’s Pale Ale, along with the rest of Oskar Blues line-up of year-round brews are loaded up and truckin’ to Iowa, Nebraska and downstate Illinois from Oskar Blues Colorado brewery this week. Oskar Blues beers will hit the states of Vermont and Maine soon after, shipping from the brewery’s North Carolina facility. The brewery’s award-winning beers will be available in grocery and specialty stores as well as restaurants, bars, and watering holes in both CANs and on draft. This expansion will put Oskar Blues beers in a total of 40 U.S. states—with more to be announced soon.

Oskar Blues has partnered with Quality Brands of Omaha and Double Eagle Beverage of Lincoln led by Tony Gillick in Nebraska. Additional partnerships are being finalized for remaining regions of the state and will be announced soon.

In Iowa, Oskar Blues has partnered with Iowa Beverage Systems in the Des Moines metro market, led by Mike Brewington, and Fleck Sales Company in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City markets, led by Dudley Fleck and Mike Schulte. As with Nebraska, additional partnerships will be announced soon.

In downstate Illinois, Oskar Blues has partnered with the Wirtz family and Wirtz Beverage Group to cover the remainder of the state outside of Chicagoland. This partnership continues a solid OB/Wirtz partnership that started early in 2014 with the successful launch of Nevada. That relationship developed further with the recently formed partnership between Oskar Blues and Major Brands in Missouri, where Wirtz has an ownership percentage.

In Vermont and Maine, Oskar Blues will expand its existing partnership with the Sheehan Family and the L. Knife Companies. As well, the brewery has chosen the Craft Beer Guild of Vermont and the Craft Beer Guild of Maine as distribution partners. This fills in Oskar Blues’ footprint in the Northeast, and provides beer drinkers in Vermont and Maine with brews from the North Carolina OB brewery.

“As we continue to close the gaps in our national footprint, we’re humbled by the enthusiasm and eagerness that we see from distributors seeking to sell our brands in their markets. We take the process of choosing the right partners very seriously, and we’re confident that the distributor networks we’ve chosen in these states will provide solid partners who are invested in their businesses and their communities,” says Chris Russell, director of business development.

Details of the official launch events in all states are still in the works but will be finalized soon. Look for more details on the kick-off events in the coming weeks, which, as always, will include full OB team support.

Additionally, beer drinkers will be able to sample Oskar Blues’ newest year-round brand, PINNER Throwback IPA, on tap during the initial phase of the launches and then in the CANundrum mixed 12-pack starting in February. Oskar Blues continues to grow exponentially as the brewery expands production, increases staff, and spreads the craft beer love across this great nation.

More about Oskar Blues Year-Round Brews

Dale’s Pale Ale: As Oskar Blues’ flagship beer, this American Pale Ale delivers balanced rich flavors of malts and hops (6.5% ABV, 65 IBUs). The award-winning beer was named the “Top U.S. Pale Ale” by The New York Times and is the number-one selling pale ale in ColoRADo.

Founded as a brewpub by Dale Katechis in 1997, Oskar Blues Brewery launched the craft beer-in-a-can apocalypse in 2002 using a tabletop machine that sealed one can at a time. In 2008, the makers of the top-selling pale ale in ColoRADo, Dale’s Pale Ale, moved into a 35,000-square-foot facility in Longmont, ColoRADo. The brewery has since experienced explosive growth—packaging 59,000 barrels of beer in 2011 and 86,750 barrels in 2012. In December 2012, Oskar Blues opened the doors to an additional brewery in Brevard, North Carolina. Recently, Oskar Blues secured an additional 60,000 square feet in their Colorado location to allow additional production and add six full-size Brunswick bowling lanes to the Tasty Weasel Taproom. Together, the breweries packaged 119,000 barrels of beer in 2013 and 149,000 in 2014. Oskar Blues now distributes trail-blazing craft brews to 40 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.

]]>http://www.oskarblues.com/oskar-blues-brewery-launch-iowa-nebraska-maine-vermont-southern-illinois-early-2015/feed/0CORNLABORATION, a collaboration lager from Oskar Blues Brewery and Perrin Brewing Company, released in Michiganhttp://www.oskarblues.com/cornlaboration-collaboration-lager-oskar-blues-brewery-perrin-brewing-company-released-michigan/
http://www.oskarblues.com/cornlaboration-collaboration-lager-oskar-blues-brewery-perrin-brewing-company-released-michigan/#commentsWed, 31 Dec 2014 23:55:17 +0000http://www.oskarblues.com/?p=16671Brewers from Oskar Blues and Perrin Brewing created the first batch of CORNLABORATION in Michigan. The brew currently is available at Perrin’s taproom and on draft throughout the state of Michigan. Longmont, CO, Brevard, NC, & Comstock Park, MI (December 30, 2014)–CORNLABORATION, a new collaboration lager born from the creative brewing mind-meld of Oskar Blues […]

]]>Brewers from Oskar Blues and Perrin Brewing created the first batch of CORNLABORATION in Michigan.

The brew currently is available at Perrin’s taproom and on draft

throughout the state of Michigan.

Longmont, CO, Brevard, NC, & Comstock Park, MI (December 30, 2014)–CORNLABORATION, a new collaboration lager born from the creative brewing mind-meld of Oskar Blues Brewery of Colorado and North Carolina and Perrin Brewing Company of Comstock Park, Michigan, has been released in Michigan. This heady combination of corn, Full Pint malt, German hops and Denmark lager yeast compels cornstalks to high-five in the field (5.8% ABV, 45 IBUs).

The fresh fruit and citrus aroma of this quaffable lager culminates in a fresh bready flavor followed by a light-bodied corn finish. Rumor has it that CORNLABORATION may be brewed again at Oskar Blues’ Longmont brewery this winter for wider distribution. In the meantime, only Michigaons get to sip on the corny brew.

The first batch of CORNLABORATION was brewed at Perrin with a team of brewers from both Oskar Blues and Perrin. The beer is now available on draft at Perrin Brewing Company, just 10 miles north of Grand Rapids. It also will be distributed throughout the state of Michigan until every drop has been enjoyed. Look for CORNLABORATION on tap at your favorite MI watering hole or restaurant.

Founded as a brewpub by Dale Katechis in 1997, Oskar Blues Brewery launched the craft beer-in-a-can apocalypse in 2002 using a tabletop machine that sealed one can at a time. In 2008, the makers of the top-selling pale ale in ColoRADo, Dale’s Pale Ale, moved into a 35,000-square-foot facility in Longmont, ColoRADo. The brewery has since experienced explosive growth—packaging 59,000 barrels of beer in 2011 and 86,750 barrels in 2012. In December of 2012, Oskar Blues opened the doors to an additional brewery in Brevard, North Carolina. Together, the breweries packaged 119,000 barrels of beer in 2013, distributing its trailblazing craft brews to 37 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.

]]>LONGMONT BREWERY WILL CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF NEW PINNER THROWBACK IPA, RECENTLY ADDED TO THE BREWERY’S YEAR-ROUND LINE-UP

Longmont, CO—Oskar Blues Brewery will celebrate the release of PINNER Throwback IPA at a shindig at the ColoRADo Tasty Weasel on January 10. Hot-air balloon rides from the brewery parking lot will allow beer lovers to “get lifted.”

PINNER Throwback IPA will be available in the 12-ounce Oskar Blues CANs and on draft. Coming in at 4.9 percent ABV and 35 IBUs, this primo dry-hopped brew is easy to throw back. To put it bluntly, PINNER will be the lowest year-round ABV beer to blaze out of Oskar Blues’ brewhouses.

The release party sparks up at 1:00 p.m. Free brewery tours start at 2:00 p.m., where attendees will be given the opportunity to get loaded up on OB History. The Oskar Blues Brewery Tour was just named one of the Top 10 Brewery Tours in the United States by USA Today.

Live music from local Colorado band, The Delta Sonics, begins at 3:00 p.m. This harmonica-led blazing blues band were chosen as the “Best Blues Band in Denver” by Westword Magazine in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Dank schwag will be given out during the celebration, including a pair of skis from Icelantic, Oskar Blues restaurant gift cards, plus Winter on the Rocks and Zach Deputy Tickets. Winners of the Pinner Skee Ball Tournament, which starts at 6:00 p.m., get prizes too.

Boulder locals too burnt out to make the drive can hitch a ride on The Oskar Blues Trolley. The trolley will be picking locals up from at The Dark Horse at 2:30 p.m. and heading back to Boulder at 7:00 p.m. The Dark Horse will offer Pinner specials from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on January 10 as well. Party-goers can park their car in the back lot of this historic watering hole.

Don’t be a buzzkill, grab a buddy, and make your way over to The Tasty Weasel Taproom on January 10 to throw back the stoned fruit, low ABV PINNER. The Tasty Weasel is located at 1800 Pike Road in Longmont, ColoRADo. #pinner #givegivesip #canibeblunt

About Oskar Blues Brewery

Founded as a brewpub by Dale Katechis in 1997, Oskar Blues Brewery launched the craft beer-in-a-can apocalypse in 2002 using a tabletop machine that sealed one can at a time.In 2008, the makers of the top-selling pale ale in ColoRADo, Dale’s Pale Ale, moved into a 35,000-square-foot facility in Longmont, ColoRADo. The brewery has since experienced explosive growth—packaging 59,000 barrels of beer in 2011 and 86,750 barrels in 2012. In December 2012, Oskar Blues opened the doors to an additional brewery in Brevard, North Carolina. Recently, Oskar Blues secured an additional 60,000 square feet in their Colorado location to allow additional production and add six full-size Brunswick bowling lanes to the Tasty Weasel Taproom. Together, the breweries packaged 119,000 barrels of beer in 2013 and 149,000 in 2014, and Oskar Blues distributes trail-blazing craft brews to 38 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.

]]>http://www.oskarblues.com/oskar-blues-brewery-hold-pinner-release-party-tasty-weasel-tap-room-january-10th-2015/feed/0CAN’D Aid Wins “Cause of the Year” Award at Brewbound!http://www.oskarblues.com/cand-aid-wins-cause-year-award-brewbound/
http://www.oskarblues.com/cand-aid-wins-cause-year-award-brewbound/#commentsWed, 10 Dec 2014 23:15:48 +0000http://www.oskarblues.com/?p=16630We are so pumped to announce that the Oskar Blue’s CAN’D Aid Foundation was chosen as the “Cause of the Year” at the first annual Brewbound Awards. Brewbound rewards companies for their execution of philanthropic, sales & marketing efforts and new product rollouts. Six awards were given out to five different US breweries on December 4, […]

We are so pumped to announce that the Oskar Blue’s CAN’D Aid Foundation was chosen as the “Cause of the Year” at the first annual Brewbound Awards. Brewbound rewards companies for their execution of philanthropic, sales & marketing efforts and new product rollouts. Six awards were given out to five different US breweries on December 4, 2014 in San Diego.

CAN’d Aid has impressively raised $1 million dollars in their first year in action. Although CAND’d Aid was originally developed to give back to a variety of different focus areas on a national level, Oskar Blue’s Owner / Founder Dale Katechis decided to instead maximize their efforts in his local community after massive flood devastation struck the area.

Diana Ralston, the executive director of the “CAN’d Aid Foundation” echoed Katechis’ sentiments about flood relief efforts, stating, “at Oskar Blues, our community is our family, and the massive flooding along the Front Range left a lot of our Colorado family members without homes, without towns, and in desperate need of help getting back on their feet. Fast-tracking our 501(c)(3) allowed us to be a part of a long-term strategy to provide help to areas damaged by the flooding.”

]]>http://www.oskarblues.com/cand-aid-wins-cause-year-award-brewbound/feed/012th CANiversary at the Original Oskar Blues Grill & Brew in Lyons, COhttp://www.oskarblues.com/12th-caniversary/
http://www.oskarblues.com/12th-caniversary/#commentsThu, 06 Nov 2014 17:47:16 +0000http://oskarblues.com/?p=16595Oskar Blues Brewery’s 12th CANiversary Shindig at the Original Oskar Blues Grill & Brew in Lyons, CO., will be November 22 Specialty brews and live music by Judge Roughneck & Euforquestra Longmont, CO.–It’s been 12 years since Oskar Blues Brewery started the craft beer-in-a-CAN apocalypse in an old barn turned CANnery located just outside […]

]]>Oskar Blues Brewery’s 12th CANiversary Shindig at the Original Oskar Blues Grill & Brew in Lyons, CO., will be November 22

Specialty brews and live music by Judge Roughneck & Euforquestra

Longmont, CO.–It’s been 12 years since Oskar Blues Brewery started the craft beer-in-a-CAN apocalypse in an old barn turned CANnery located just outside of the original Oskar Blues Grill & Brew brewpub in Lyons, CO. Today, more than 425 craft breweries in the U.S. brew and CAN beer–offering consumers a fresher product by eliminating the damaging effects of light and ingressed oxygen.

To celebrate 12 years of great beer in a CAN, Oskar Blues is throwing a shindig on November 22 at the place where it all started–Oskar Blues Grill & Brew in Lyons. Oskar Blues’ 12th CANiversary will kick off with a buffet dinner (6 to 9 pm), while rocking the famous SILENT DISCO for free from 7:30 till 9 pm in the new expansion space on the north side of the building.
The celebration will include specialty brews CHAKA, VELVET ELVIS, STATION 3, HOME SKILLET, POLLEN BUZZ and PINNER Throwback IPA in CANs along with specialty drafts all day and night. Live music presented by The Marquee Magazine starts at 8:30 p.m. featuring the powerful ska and reggae stylings of Judge Roughneck (www.judgeroughneck.com). Energetic funk & groove by national touring band Euforquestra will headline the evening (http://www.euforquestra.com). Check out their latest video “FIRE” HERE.

For Oskar Blues, celebrating over a decade of one of the biggest milestones in craft beer is reason enough to party, but this year’s 12th

CANiversary party will be more of a celebration of the triumph of small town spirit.The Oskar Blues CAN’d Aid Foundation was formed as an immediate response to the massive flooding that devastated Oskar Blues’ hometowns of Lyons and Longmont, CO, in September 2013. To date, CAN’d Aid has donated $700,000 for flood recovery and an additional $150,000 to charitable causes focused on outdoor recreation, child and family advocacy, arts and culture, and sustainability initiatives. Shakin’ things up in the world of non-profits, the public charity features funky grassroots grants to fund worthy projects from coast to coast. By putting our own spin on what charitable giving looks like, we’re able to stay nimble, respond quickly and stay true to our roots. Every dollar raised by the CAN’d Aid Foundation is matched by Oskar Blues Brewery–doubling the “do-goodery” and maximizing the reach.

Tickets to the 12th CANiversary Concert (no cover charge for dinner or Silent Disco) are $15 and are available at

Founded as a brewpub by Dale Katechis in 1997, Oskar Blues Brewery launched the craft beer-in-a-CAN apocalypse in 2002 using a tabletop machine that sealed one CAN at a time. In 2008, the makers of the top-selling pale ale in ColoRADo, Dale’s Pale Ale, moved into a 35,000-square-foot facility in Longmont, ColoRADo. The brewery has since experienced explosive growth–packaging 59,000 barrels of beer in 2011 and 86,750 barrels in 2012. In December 2012, Oskar Blues opened the doors to an additional brewery in Brevard, North Carolina. Together, the breweries packaged 120,000 barrels of beer in 2013, distributing trailblazing craft brews to 36 U.S. states.

August 7, 2014-Dale Katechis, well-known as the passionate and hard-charging owner of Oskar Blues Brewery, REEB Cycles, and the man who started the craft beer-in-a-can revolution, was recently recognized for an achievement that had nothing to do with craft beer-for his philanthropic contributions. In the days following the 500-year flood that nearly wiped out Oskar Blues’ hometowns of Lyons and Longmont, CO, Katechis created the Oskar Blues CAN’d Aid Foundation as a way to raise and distribute funds to flood-affected individuals and businesses.

Starting with a personal donation of $125,000, Katechis reached out to the craft beer industry and raised more than half a million dollars in just three months.Nearly a year later, Katechis and the CAN’d Aid Foundation continue to work with the Town of Lyons on large-scale recovery projects. Thus far, the Foundation has given $700,000 to flood-related efforts, totaling more than $1 million raised.

When the folks at eTown heard about the impact that Dale and the Oskar Blues CAN’d Aid Foundation are having on flood relief and recovery efforts, they invited him to be part of the June 11th taping of The Infamous Stringdusters and Rodney Crowell show, and presented him with the E-Chievement Award. The show, which was recorded in front of a live audience at E-town Hall in Boulder, will air this week (8/6-8/12) on more than 300 public, community and commercial stations across North America and via podcast. To hear Katechis’ video interview with e-Town hosts Nick & Helen Forster, and to learn more about the CAN’d Aid Foundation, visit www.etown.org. The show aired locally on Boulder-based KBCO on Sunday, August 3, at 8 p.m., and the entire video can be viewed HERE.

About eTown
Founded in 1991, eTown is a nationally-syndicated radio show heard weekly on over 300 public, community and commercial stations across North America and via podcast. eTown is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 corporation whose mission is to educate, entertain and inspire a diverse audience, through music and conversation, to create a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable world. Every eTown show is taped in front of a live audience, and features performances from many of today’s top musical artists as well as thought-provoking interviews and the presentation of the listener-nominated E-Chievement Award recognizing everyday people who have made a difference in their community or beyond. Founders Nick Forster, of the legendary bluegrass band Hot Rize fame, and his wife, singer/actress Helen Forster host the show. For more information, visit www.etown.org.

About the E-Chievement Award
One of the show’s most popular segments is the E-Chievement Award. Listeners from around the country send in nominations of remarkable individuals who are working hard to make a positive difference in their communities and beyond. From massive river clean-ups to programs that help the homeless, from neighborhood activists to national and international social and environmental organizations, eTown takes pride in celebrating the success stories of ordinary citizens accomplishing extraordinary things. To learn more about the E-Chievement Award, visit www.etown.org.

]]>http://www.oskarblues.com/dale-katechis-wins-e-chievement-award-for-cand-aid-foundation/feed/0Road To ARISE Part 5 – Peter Yarrowhttp://www.oskarblues.com/road-to-arise-part-5-peter-yarrow/
http://www.oskarblues.com/road-to-arise-part-5-peter-yarrow/#commentsWed, 06 Aug 2014 22:30:47 +0000http://oskarblues.com/?p=16456“The Road To ARISE” is a series of conversations writer Brian Turk will be having with ARISE Festival Artists. It is presented by ARISE Music Festival, Oskar Blues Brewery, Listen Up Denver, The Marquee Magazine and Harmony Yoga. Road to ARISE Part 5 – Peter Yarrow American folk music has always been around, but the genre we consider “folk music” took […]

American folk music has always been around, but the genre we consider “folk music” took shape in the early 1960’s. One of the groups that defined the folk music genre as we know it was Peter, Paul and Mary. The trio was put together by manager Albert Grossman in 1961, who also started managing folk singer Bob Dylan the following year; the folk explosion happened around those two bands. The nearly fifty year career of Peter, Paul and Mary not only brought them extraordinary success with the Peter Yarrow penned hit “Puff The Magic Dragon”, or John Denver’s “Leaving On A Jet Plane”, but also brought them close to the front lines of many political and social movements along the way. Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary took some time to chat about the beginnings of folk, the band’s commitment to inspiring change, and what Yarrow is currently focusing on at the wise age of 76.

The genre of folk music was taking shape a decade before Peter, Paul and Mary, but the fire in the folk scene was quelled by The McCarthy Era political oppression that our country suffered. Folk has always had a message to convey, and in the early 1950’s the message of artists like Pete Seeger and The Weavers and Woody Guthrie rubbed some Americans the wrong way, and made them see red. Communism was a dirty word in the American vocabulary at that time, and those who were thought to be Communist Party members, or people who associated with Communist Party members in any way were being questioned and punished. The blacklisting of artists, musicians, and writers based on their association with the Communist Party began in the early 1950’s and continued into the early 1960’s, stopping folk music in its tracks. Yarrow explains, “ Pete Seeger and The Weavers and other folk singers, writers, and artists were blacklisted. They refused to answer questions about their affiliation with the Communist Party and they refused to give names. If they gave names, they would have been left alone. It was blackmail in an extreme form, and one of the darkest periods of American political history. Just the day before yesterday, we had a huge event for Pete Seeger at Lincoln Center, and everyone really acknowledged and celebrated the fact that Pete was the one who showed the way. Not just because of the music, but because of the way he courageously stuck up for what he believed in. It’s kind of ironic. His ethic was one of the greatest integrity, despite enormous injury to himself, his life, and his career.”

Once Peter, Paul and Mary came on the scene, the intensity of the red scare lessened, and blacklisted artists began performing and recording again. Even though the Peter, Paul and Mary presentation sounded as American as apple pie, there was still a meaningful message of change coming through. Folk music was so much more than the notes being played. “No, it was not entertainment per se”, shared Yarrow, “It was the exploration of life in all its forms, and a very important part of that was the exploration of hopes and dreams and aspirations of ordinary people, not necessarily of stars, the elite, or wealthy people. Folk music was the dominant music in the early 1960’s. It was only dislodged from being the dominant music on the charts when The Beatles came. Then The Beatles slowly evolved into a band that played music beyond “I Want To Hold Your Hand”, and incorporated the kind of philosophical depth that was emulative of what we were sharing in the folk field. So, in a sense, rock and roll as it evolved, was in many cases dramatically affected by folk music. Particularly, it was Bob Dylan who had the effect because his music was poetry, and his songs were poetry.

Both Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul, and Mary began working with Albert Grossman within a year of each other, but Peter, Paul, and Mary began climbing the charts immediately. It took folks a little longer to warm up to Dylan. “Bobby’s great success followed the period of the dominance of folk music” explained Yarrow, “More like when Blonde on Blonde came out (1966). Our first album came out in 1962 and remained in the Top Ten for ten months, in the Top Twenty for two years and sold more than two million copies. I mean we had a ridiculous amount of success.”

Peter, Paul and Mary were at the top of the music game in the early 60’s, and they also were highly involved in the political and social issues that were shaping our country, including the Civil Rights movement. Yarrow gave some insight on just how involved they were, “First we performed at the March on Washington in 1963, and in 1965 we performed at the Selma, Montgomery March (Where Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech). Then, when the country moved into the anti-war movement, we became a part of that. This conjunction of commitment to social change and music was, and continues to be, the essence of what I am dedicated to and what happily I see in younger people like my daughter. She is a great organizer; I am working with her leadership in an effort to return the Black Hills to the Lakotas.”

Yarrow’s daughter, Bethany, is not only an organizer, but she is a musician, as well. Yarrow’s daughter will join him on stage at ARISE along with Rufus Cappadocia, and the three are coming to do more than just play music. Yarrow explains, “So what you are going to hear me singing and performing when I come to the ARISE Festival, will represent part of the legacy of Peter, Paul, and Mary music combined with the music of my daughter. We are not just there to entertain. Not at all. We are there to light and experience the joy of being the connection between music and people’s feeling of power to move forward and create a less oppressed society and world. One that is more peaceful.” Yarrow also pointed out that his goals as an activist and musician are in align with what ARISE is shooting for as a festival. “We may being doing it in different forms” said Yarrow, “but the intent is exactly the same. We want to use music to inspire people to create community, to feel something together, and to be empowered to make a better world.”

]]>http://www.oskarblues.com/road-to-arise-part-5-peter-yarrow/feed/0Road to Arise Part 4 – Groundationhttp://www.oskarblues.com/road-arise-part-4-groundation/
http://www.oskarblues.com/road-arise-part-4-groundation/#commentsThu, 31 Jul 2014 15:44:22 +0000http://oskarblues.com/?p=16451“The Road To ARISE” is a series of conversations writer Brian Turk will be having with ARISE Festival Artists. It is presented by ARISE Music Festival, Oskar Blues Brewery, Listen Up Denver, The Marquee Magazine and Harmony Yoga. The Road To ARISE Part 4- Groundation Reggae holds a very special in my heart and has since I was a young child. Let […]

Reggae holds a very special in my heart and has since I was a young child. Let me set the scene and tell you about the first time I heard reggae. I was between six or seven years old in upstate New York, and my Uncle sat me on a footstool in front of his high fidelity stereo system. My uncle was my hero, and still is. He did things differently than a lot of adults around me. He rode a Harley. He smoked lots of marijuana. He married a black woman. He had more records and CD’s than anyone I had ever seen. This was in 1986 or 1987. After sitting me on that footstool, my uncle pulled Steel Pulse’s True Democracy from its sleeve and placed it on the turntable. It was love at first listen for me. The smell of the incense, the oil my aunt used on her skin and the ganja floating through the air still comes back to me when I relive the moment and every time I listen to reggae. My uncle knew what he was doing. He was teaching me. Teaching me to be different, to question, to go my own way, to listen for and to speak the truth, and to do it all with music playing in the background. For the past thirty years I have lived life with that moment as the epicenter of my being. That was the first time I got lost in music. The first time I listened to an album start to finish, and the first time I understood my role, and my calling, as a listener. I try and relive that moment every day, in some way, shape, or form. The music that a lot of people are calling reggae now a days doesn’t allow me to relive that moment, and that fact saddens me. Even angers me at times. Because of that fact, I have avoided modern American reggae like the plague, but once in a while I come across a band that makes me feel like I am sitting on my uncle’s footstool in 1987. One of those bands is Groundation, and I cannot wait to get lost in their set at ARISE. Here is my conversation with Groundation front man Harrison Stafford, a man who has renewed my faith in modern American reggae.

BT: Let’s start with the basics. When, where, why did Groundation get started?

HS: Groundation formed at Sonoma State University in Northern California. We were all studying jazz performance. I wanted to start a special project based on reggae music, which is where I was coming from, but also had a fusion of jazz, and a unique voice. Four of us just started getting together once a week in the drum room, playing songs by Culture, Israel Vibrations, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, etc. Reggae music was my background, but everyone else didn’t know much more than Bob Marley, so we started just playing the classics. We recorded our first album, Young Tree, just a few months after forming the group. Our professor, Mel Graves, was always talking about the need to find your own voice. If you are a trumpet player, you are competing with Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard. So what is going to make someone listen to you? He told us that’s what we needed to find out. So from our first albums, Young Tree, Each One Teach One, and Hebron Gate, which was really the album that launched us internationally, the music began to become very identifiable as Groundation. We were doing things no other reggae band was doing. The polyrhythmic things, things that were not in the common 4/4 time signature. Things that were not diatonically in the key. A lot of harmonic movements like jazz, and that really set us apart. It was that sound that the Europeans and the South Americans really grabbed on to, and that sound has helped us become an internationally known group over the past sixteen years.

BT: You said you came to Groundation with a reggae background, but you were studying jazz with your bandmates in college. When did your love of reggae start?

HS: My older brother was listening to reggae music when he was very young, so I was five or six when I started listening to reggae. Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Black Uhuru. Ziggy Marley was very popular, and was just starting to come out. I fell in love with reggae immediately. My parents moved to California from the East Coast, and I was raised in a Jewish home, so I was going to temple and learning Hebrew as a child. Of course, none of my friends were Jewish since we lived in Sonoma County. I wondered why I was traveling an hour to temple three days a week and every weekend, and I didn’t understand, none of my other friends were doing that. So, reggae music was that voice of the children of Israel, Moses and Aaron; I heard a lot of the same names at temple. Reggae music was personal music for me, so I have carried that connection with me throughout my life. I also got the opportunity to start traveling to St.Ann’s Bay, Jamaica at a very young age, through Jamaican families who were taking care of my grandparents when they were passing away. In the late 1980’s I started going to St.Ann’s Bay during the winters and summers, and grew up with the kids my age there. I really made a connection to Jamaica early, and to the Rastafari elders there, which was really big. Here was this Jewish kid from the tribe of Levi, the Cohanim Priesthood tribe, and they sat me right down to reason with me. I was really welcomed, and it caused me to open my eyes to the whole philosophy of Rasta; oneness, putting out positive energy, deflection to the earth. I loved and admired that philosophy from the start, and I carry that with me today. A lot of my friends from St. Ann’s Bay have migrated to the United States or the UK, but I still have my place in Lime Hall in Saint Ann’s Bay. My wife is from Kingston, and even though we spend most of our time with our children in California, we are very much based in Jamaica, as well. My roots in Jamaica are crucial to get the Rasta word, sound, and power from where it all began. You need to be there to get that. That’s what fuels Groundation’s music. Staying grounded in Jamaica, and with the elders. Reggae music has really been a lifelong thing for me.

BT: I think it has to be, in order for real reggae music to be made. Reggae is a spiritual music. It is a form of prayer. There is no way around that fact. A lot of music is being called reggae music now-a-days, but unless the music is made with a spiritual approach, it’s not reggae to me. I listened to Groundation for the first time last week, and I will be honest, I was surprised to hear that authentic reggae presence in the music. The spiritual side. The Rastafari wisdom.

HS: For sure. That spirituality is something we are all going to have to come to in life. Whether you call it Rasta or not. There are nations fighting nations. The health and the welfare of our planet is struggling. That Rasta philosophy is something that people are going to need to latch on to.

BT: Since the word “Rasta” has come up, let’s make some clarifications to the reader. Most people are going to immediately think of copious amounts of marijuana.

HS: Which is funny, because there are so many elder Rasta who do not smoke.

BT: So what is the essence of Rasta?

HS: The essence are the teaching of Haile Selassie I. Haile Selassie went from nation to nation, and his main focus was we were all one people, and we have responsibility to each other. Selassie would say in his speeches that human kind has its most difficult task ahead of it. It has to step beyond everything we see and know. All of our education, everything that puts into these tribes, and these allegiances to flags and colors. In reality, our allegiance is to the whole human race. To me, that is the essence of Rasta. To be there with love and positive energy to help your fellow human being survive this struggle of life. Obviously, there is great inequality happening on the planet. That is the struggle. The Babylon System is what keeps people craving with vanity and greed, wanting more. But to stop Babylon is to say, NO!, What we need are schools and education for all people. In Rasta, you as an individual is very important. You are a waking image of Jah, but really our beauty comes from being just a small part of this greater, beautiful whole. You are a part of this one world family. It’s a oneness thing. No division in Rasta.

BT: Agreed. Again, for clarification, let’s talk about the term “Babylon”. To me, Babylon is the modern world. It’s the atrocities of war, our banking system, our corporate society, and our prison empires. How do you define the term Babylon?

HS: Yeah, Babylon is all of that. To me, Babylon is everything negative. Babylon is everything that is not helpful to people to build them up. That is Babylon. For example, McDonalds is like the Babylon of food. It’s cheap, but it is not going to serve you in the long run. It’s not going to build you up. Babylon is like a trick. It’s making you believe life is about possessions and outside beauty. The ancient Rasta, who refuse and turn their backs on Babylon, they live in the bush, off the land. So much of life is really touched by Babylon, so they needed to separate. So, yes, Babylon can be seen as the Western world. But all the negatives of Babylon can be turned into positives.

BT: It is so refreshing to hear this coming out of your mouth. I have very strong opinions on what is being called reggae in the United States. I too was exposed to reggae at a very young age, about the same time you were. I remember my uncle playing Steel Pulse’s True Democracy for me when I was a kid, and my ears and mind opened to it. Widely. I grew up on real roots reggae. I grew up listening to amazing musicians, and prophetic lyricists, who were living very hard lives, and who were fighting against Babylon. The United States has a booming “reggae” scene right now, but it’s mostly watered down, bubble-gum SoCal surf rock with some reggae riffs as a mask. None of this is reggae to me, and I don’t like it. What I am hearing is disrespectful to the cornerstone of roots reggae.

HS: I would say that’s a reflection of our entire music industry right now. What you are talking about is pop music. When I listened to country music when I was a kid, it was Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash. If you listen to country today, it sounds very different. It’s the same with blues and R&B. It’s all become pop. Reggae has become a product, just like everything else. That’s why you hear a lot of “reggae” songs talking about how they smoked weed and got “so high”, or how they are on the beach with their girl. These real light three minute songs that are cheesy. It is not saying what reggae is supposed to say. It’s a very soft interpretation. Groundation, what we do, I know, carries the foundation, the torch, of real reggae. If you listen to ANY of our albums, you will not hear songs like I just described. You will hear one-drop music. A lot of people now play back-beat, or rock-beat. Real Jamaican reggae is the one drop. Reggae music has suffered at the hand of the music industry. They want bands to make a product people can BBQ, drink beer, and go to the beach to. Maybe they will play some Sublime, too. That’s not what you and I grew up with, but it’s what people know as reggae now. Real roots reggae music, like you and I are talking about, has a clear message. And the message is against the system. People just don’t know enough about reggae. Imagine going to a record store, and Led Zeppelin being the only band in the rock section. That’s what it is like for reggae, because most people only know Bob Marley. That has certainly hurt reggae music and its overall exposure. Reggae music has a challenge, because it is a really simple music. Some people upon first listening find it “boring”. But as a musician, even if you are not trained, it is easy to start playing as soon as you hear it. That’s why reggae music is all over the world. As a musician who has studied jazz, I can recognize that reggae sounds simple, but it’s hard to play. Like Bob Marley say, “Them do it, but dem can’t do it”. They got it, but they don’t really got it. Reggae sounds easy, and you can do an approximation, but you don’t have that same feel. Like you said, for some people, they listen to reggae, and they were caught. Reggae will never leave them for the rest of their lives. It pumps through their heart and blood. For others, they can’t get past the simplicity.

BT: You said a lot of good stuff there. “Them do it, but dem can’t do it”. Yeah you right. I went to Reggae on The Rocks a couple of years ago, and it really rubbed me the wrong way. Seeing the stark contrast between the masters of real reggae and the commercial pop bands trying to play reggae, and claiming to play reggae, well, it actually nauseated me. Especially when the young commercial bands were taking the stage after the masters. I found it very disrespectful. How can a bubble gum band headline over founding fathers? Over the sages? I have avoided this new “reggae like” genre like the plague. I turn to reggae for a reason. I don’t need some beach bum in skater shoes singing dumbed-down lyrics about taking bong hits in the sunshine, and calling it reggae. I want to hear something powerful. I want to be moved. I want to chant down Babylon! All that being said…that’s why I reached out to you to do this interview. You speak the truth. Thank you. So after that rant, here is the question, how do you keep authenticity in your music, while being surrounded by such shit?

HS: We as a band have a pretty large distaste for pop music, as well. So, even if one of us was going to write something similar to a song you are talking about, another one of us would tear it up. We are looking for things that are unique and original. We are not worried on how the record will sell. We are doing this because the mission of music is going to unite the people of the world. And we want to be a part of that. That is the only focus. ALL of our songs talk about the future, building up our children, and talking about how to reach THE goal; unity, love, equality, and love for this planet. We play one-drop music. We don’t come from the Sublime side of what some call reggae. When Sublime came out with “Pawn Shop”, all my friends loved it, but it was really an old Wailing Souls song. I told my friends that those people were not writing those songs, and I would play them the original song. Those new bands, like Sublime, sold millions of albums, but the original artists were struggling day to day in Jamaica. I did a documentary film called Holding On To Jah, which is a history of Jamaica and the Rasta movement, as told by the singers and musicians who were in Jamaica in 1966 to see Selassie come to the island. That’s when a lot of people began to grow the locks. We have an Indie Go Go campaign right now to try and raise the licensing fees for all the original songs in the movie.

As you just read, Groundation is the real deal, and they are grounded in the real roots of reggae. If you are a lover of authentic reggae, and appreciate reggae with a message beyond how cool the beach is, then get grounded in Groundation. It is no surprise their name is a play on Grounation Day, which is one of the most important Rasta Holy Days. Grounation Day celebrates the day King Selassie first set foot on the island of Jamaica in 1966, and they try to capture that historic moment in every note.

]]>http://www.oskarblues.com/road-arise-part-4-groundation/feed/0The Road to ARISE Part 3 – Harmony Yogahttp://www.oskarblues.com/road-arise-part-3-harmony-yoga/
http://www.oskarblues.com/road-arise-part-3-harmony-yoga/#commentsWed, 23 Jul 2014 18:54:29 +0000http://oskarblues.com/?p=16444“The Road To ARISE” is a series of conversations writer Brian Turk will be having with ARISE Festival Artists. It is presented by ARISE Music Festival, Oskar Blues Brewery, Listen Up Denver, The Marquee Magazine and Harmony Yoga. The Road To ARISE Part 3- Harmony Yoga So far, “The Road to ARISE” Series has focused on the musician’s playing the festival, but […]

So far, “The Road to ARISE” Series has focused on the musician’s playing the festival, but there is so much more to ARISE. Yoga is also a main focus of the festival, with classes, workshops, and Yoga related activities going on throughout the weekend. Yoga is everywhere in Colorado and around the country. I have walked by countless Yoga studios that look like gyms, and cater to Starbucks drinking divas who want to get their sweat on so they can have a Yoga booty as their newest purchasable accessory, but what I seldom see is authentic Yoga being taught. The type of Yoga that was created over 5,000 years ago, with a specific purpose, and as a life path. I had the pleasure of speaking with Michelle Voeller, who owns Harmony Yoga in Denver, and teaches there, as well. Like all of the musicians I talk to, Michelle’s profession is her calling, and she is extremely passionate about what she does. Get to know a bit about Michelle, Harmony Yoga, and what REAL Yoga is all about. See you at Michelle’s “Sunday Chill Out” Yoga class at ARISE!

BT: How did you initially get into Yoga?

MV: I got into Yoga as a curious college student in 1998. A friend was going to take a class, and she wanted me to take it with her. I had no idea what it was, honestly, so I tried it. My Anthropology professor at the University of Iowa wound up being the Yoga teacher. I had always admired him from afar, and thought there was something special about him, and then I found out what it was. He had been practicing and teaching Yoga for decades. I kept going to classes and felt the power of Yoga from the beginning. I didn’t know exactly what was happening, but I could feel that energy was flowing, and like I was opening up every time I left those classes. It definitely intrigued me enough to keep practicing.

BT: So, you got into Yoga in College. Did you start teaching Yoga right after?

MV: I didn’t. I finished my degree in English, and then taught English at Cherry Creek High Schools for seven years. All the while, I was studying and practicing Yoga. I eventually went through a teacher training in 2003. After that I started a Yoga club at the high school, for both teachers and students, which met after school once a week. The feeling I got after teaching that class made me realize just how important Yoga was to me.

BT: How did you make the decision to leave the classroom and open up your own Yoga studio?

MV: I was really burned out on teaching, and halfway through the last year I taught, I knew I just couldn’t go back the next year. I was seeing other teachers around me very burned out, and they just didn’t want to let it go. I realized I didn’t want to live that way. It was time to follow my heart and my passion.

BT: Let’s give a shout out to all the teachers who have helped us along our way. It’s not easy.

MV: (laughs) It’s not easy. You’re right, and I knew I wanted to teach something. I felt, and feel, the value in teaching and planting seeds in young minds, but I needed to teach something I was passionate about. I had lost the passion for the content I was teaching, and I felt a distinct inspiration when I taught Yoga. It just so happened that two blocks from my house, a perfect 1,000 square foot space opened up in a shopping center, and my neighbor knew the property owner, so I got into that space smoothly. I stopped teaching High School in the spring 2006, and opened Harmony Yoga that summer. We outgrew that space within a few years, and built our current space in 2009 right next door to the original.

BT: It sounds like it all just fell into place, and this is what you were meant to do.

MV: It did, and it is.

BT: It sounds like Yoga is a very powerful force in your life. I will be honest, I have never taken a Yoga class. Most people I talk to who take Yoga classes make it sound like they are going to the gym. Are they doing a different kind of Yoga than you or something?

MV: Yoga is a spiritual science. It is a set of practices that are designed to help people connect with their true essence, their soul, their spirit. In the Eight Limbed path that I have been taught, Yoga is more than just exercise. Yoga is also ethics. It’s how we live. It’s how we treat each other. It’s how we treat ourselves. It’s how we breathe consciously in specific ways to help balance our energy, and it’s also how we move our bodies in the physical postures. Yoga, the spiritual science, is all designed to help you sit and meditate. Moving the body, breathing, and being in a clear space in regards to how we live, helps you sit and meditate, and connect to your true Self.

BT: So you are saying Yoga was designed to train the body to endure sitting and meditating?

MV: Exactly. The ancient Yogis designed the postures, which are called āsanas, in order to sit, and sit comfortably. The body needs to be comfortable, so you are not distracted, and this helps us get to those enlightened spaces of clarity where we can tap into higher consciousness.

BT: So Yoga and meditation go hand in hand. The movement and the non-movement.

MV: Absolutely. Originally, meditation was the most important piece of Yoga. The āsanas were just one of the Eight Limbs.

BT: Gotcha. It seems like now a days, in every major city, Yoga studios are all over. But I don’t see the spiritual side in their presentation. Or the authentic and historic side of Yoga. What are your thoughts on that? What kind of Yoga do you teach? And how is it different than these fitness Yoga places I see?

MV: One of the main streams that brought Yoga to the West was led by Indra Devi in the late 1940’s. She brought it to movie stars in Hollywood, so from its beginnings in the West, it lost part of its spiritual side, and adapted the practice to focus on the body, keeping people young and beautiful. Since a large part of our society focuses on how people look, and how fit and strong they are, mainstream Yoga kept that focus. The physical part of Yoga is extremely important, but there is so much more. To life and to Yoga. I am thankful to have been taught by authentic teachers who practice & teach whole Yoga & Ayurveda, and to have been exposed to these teachings. It’s my role to share these teachings with my students, and to educate the general public that Yoga is more than fitness. Harmony Yoga offers teacher training, and we incorporate the whole mixture of Yoga, including its sister science of health, Ayurveda. The ethics, the breath, the energy, and lots of meditation time. Not just theory, but practice. That’s where people change their lives. The physical body can take you so far, but really sinking into the spiritual side, and connecting to your true self, that’s when big changes happen. That’s what I teach at Harmony, and that’s how we instruct our teachers in training. We teach people to wake up & be truly alive.

BT: It sounds like you experienced those changes first hand.

MV: Absolutely! A teacher once told me, in jest, but it’s true, authentic Yoga will wreck your life. Things that aren’t true to who you are and where you need to be will fall away. Letting go of habits, changing the way you live, and even letting go of relationships and friendships that aren’t in alignment with where you are going, which is rising up to a higher level of being. Everything else falls away, and the real you rises up. Personally, I have shed layers of who I was once, and I feel like I am always becoming more authentic, and more real, as each day passes. It’s a constant flow.

BT: It must be amazing to watch others go through that transformation as well.

MV: Very much so. Watching others change and heal has been a real gift of this job. I opened the doors to Harmony really having no expectations on what that would be. There is real community and relationships that are formed. People’s lives have been changed. They find a place of refuge and peace from this pretty crazy world that we are living in. They are changing their lives for the better and really waking up to the light that’s within themselves.

BT: You just used the term job. It sounds like it was more of a calling for you.

MV: It certainly is. I can remember driving home from teaching classes at the high school, just knowing, and feeling, that I was tapped into my true calling, that this is what I was born to do.

BT: Can you tell me a little more about what kind of classes you offer at Harmony Yoga?

MV: Well, our tag line is “Real Yoga. Real People.”, and that’s what we offer. We offer a wide variety of classes that can suite anyone who walks through the door. Harmony is welcoming and never intimidating. It’s a sanctuary. From restorative and therapeutic classes, to intermediate, more physical practices, and everything in between. We offer adaptive and chair classes for people with chronic health conditions, and classes to people who just need to slow down in this wild world, help them find balance. Kids, teens, families, young and young at heart, the real people of our community. I lead Ayurvedic lifestyle and Yoga Therapy sessions. We will also be offering more meditation and spiritual development classes through our new partner, Inner Connection Institute, beginning this fall. It’s a holistic healing space.

BT: I read that Harmony is also working a lot with kids lately, as well.

MV: We are. I have partnered with Casey Feicht & her Kids Yoga Guide who has made working with children her primary focus. She has developed programs for kids and families of all ages. Casey is also training teachers how to work with kids. You don’t have to be a Yoga teacher, but people can be trained to bring these practices out into the world, in schools, in day cares, wherever children may be. We hope if Yoga is started young, it could really change the world.

BT: That’s great. A large part of the ARISE Festival is Yoga, and it is unique because of that. It blends music, really good music, and Yoga, and really represents the Colorado lifestyle. Are you a music lover as well?

MV: Yes, big fan of music starting in my childhood. I have many happy memories of singing in the car during family road trips and dancing around to Beatles’ records as a kid. I get the same sort of feeling from live music that I get from Yoga. I look around the crowd and everyone is in that same alignment. We are all feeling the same energy, and it is flowing through us. Yoga practice is a good compliment to a music festival. The practice of Yoga opens our energy up, and we feel free, and we can dance and move, and really be a part of what’s going on around us. It’s a great compliment to dance, music, and just appreciating all of it, and appreciating life in general. There is a huge connection to the fact that we have so much amazing music going on in Colorado; we all have an appreciation for a more freeing lifestyle; we’ve been drawn here for a reason.

BT: Folks in Colorado just want to feel good. And to smile. They look good doing it, too!

MV: Oh yeah. It’s a good place to be! There is so much goodness going on.

BT: Are you going to be teaching at ARISE, and showing people what Harmony is all about?

MV: I am. Last year I got to go as an attendee, and this year I will be teaching a class on Sunday afternoon at 3:30. It is called the “Sunday Afternoon Chill-Out Session”. If you’ve been at a music festival for a couple days-being hot, dancing and staying up late, this class will be a great opportunity to integrate all the energy that has been created. Soak it up, stretch, breath, and just relax….together, as a festival community. The whole feeling of the class will be calm and quiet, with gentle movements and deep stretching. I am lucky to have a live musician joining me, Chuck White from Boulder, who is playing sitar, to help us get in that relaxation state.

BT: And that authentic state.

MV: Yeah, exactly. We are going to dig into the ancient roots of where these practices came from.

BT: I don’t know if you’ve looked at the line-up at all, but is there anyone you are really excited to see at ARISE?

MV: What I love about this festival is the variety of music. It’s not just geared towards one genre. Beats Antique is awesome. I love the movement and that world beat feel. Galactic is always a lot of fun. I love Nahko & Medicine for the People. Then there are always surprises from new bands along the way. I am open to see as much music as I can all weekend. And I am just happy for ARISE! It’s really a grassroots festival. They reach out to the local Yoga community and get to the people who want to be there, and I have been a happy supporter.